Live in Kitzbühel

Fendrich and Silbereisen in a duet: “Great!”

Rainhard Fendrich and Florian Silbereisen rehearsed the duet at the dress rehearsal on Friday afternoon.

(Bild: Jasmin Steiner)

He is the idol of "Schlagerbooom Open Air" presenter Florian Silbereisen and a legend in the Austrian music business - after all, he has 14 number 1 albums in Austria! We're talking about Rainhard Fendrich, who will be performing live on stage in Kitzbühel on Saturday evening. He took the time to chat with "Krone" during the dress rehearsal.

"Krone": Mr. Fendrich, you are returning to the limelight after a long time - and in Kitzbühel. How are you doing?
Rainhard Fendrich: Very well! We used to ski in this area very often. We almost always spent our winter vacation in Waidring, which meant we often went to Kitzbühel - for example when there was a lot of deep snow. It's great that I can be here again. 

Rainhard Fendrich with Jasmin Steiner, the boss on duty at the "Tiroler Krone".

(Bild: Jasmin Steiner)

Rainhard Fendrich took time for the "Krone" directly after the rehearsal.

(Bild: Jasmin Steiner)

You will be on stage at the "Schlagerbooom Open Air" on Saturday evening. How does that feel?
Tremendous! I've known Florian Silbereisen since he was 27 years old. I've been on stage for 45 years and I can say that he's a fine guy, an absolute all-rounder and an incredibly good musician. He also plays a great harmonica. I actually always shy away from duets because every star always has their own sensitivities. Florian is also a star, but he's also such a down-to-earth, "straight" guy. That's why I immediately said that I'd do anything with him. It's going to be great!

Does that mean you two will perform a duet together?
Yes exactly, that's correct. We're singing my song "Die, die wandern". We live in turbulent times. Many people have written to me and thanked me for this song because it has helped them through difficult times. I was very touched by that. Music has an important place in our lives. It is food for the soul, sometimes even a means of survival. This song came about thanks to my grandfather. He was actually always my best friend in my childhood and always gave me good advice. He once said: "Boy, if you get lost in the forest, don't sit under a tree and cry, but keep walking." It's a song that gives you strength and courage and also fits in with the "Schlagerbooom". I would never have imagined that this song would be so well received by the audience. 

I much prefer it live, because then I always have everything under control

Rainhard Fendrich

The "Schlagerbooom Open Air" will be broadcast live on Saturday evening at 8.15 pm on ORF 2 and ARD. Do you prefer to sing live or do you prefer playback?
I much prefer it live, because then I always have everything under control. I have found that if I sing live and make a mistake, I make a mistake. If, on the other hand, I don't sing live and something like that happens, you have to cut it back together again, etc. The way it went today (note: on Friday) at the dress rehearsal is wonderful. 

What else can your fans expect in the coming months?
In July 2022, I returned with Christian Kolonovits and the Salzburg Philharmonic Orchestra for a special orchestral set in front of Schönbrunn Palace. The album will soon be released on CD and vinyl. My new studio album will be released in January or February 2025. It's almost finished. And there will also be a tour. We had to cancel a lot of concerts during the coronavirus pandemic, which drained my energy. I thought to myself: "If it goes on like this, I won't be doing this for much longer." Fortunately, things have now worked out so that we can go on tour after all - that's the icing on the cake. The tour starts in April 2025 and we'll be touring Austria, Germany and Switzerland. I will sing as long as people want to hear me. As soon as they don't want to hear me anymore, I'll stop immediately (laughs).